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06-07 Former Bon Jovi Bassist Dies
07-23 Bon Jovi release two new songs
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After ushering in the era of pop-metal with their 1986 blockbuster Slippery When Wet and its hit singles “You Give Love
aBadName,”“WantedDead or Alive,” and “Living on a Prayer,” Bon Jovi wound up transcending the big-haired ‘80s,
withstanding changes instyleandsound tobecome one of the biggest American rock bands of their time, selling over 120 million
albums worldwide, andsustainingtheirpopularity wellinto the new millennium. As the times changed, so did the band’s sound.
They slowly peeled away the arenarock guitarsofthe ‘80s,occasionally scoring on the adult conte ...read more
After ushering in the era of pop-metal with their 1986 blockbuster Slippery When Wet and its hit singles “You Give Love
aBadName,”“WantedDead or Alive,” and “Living on a Prayer,” Bon Jovi wound up transcending the big-haired ‘80s,
withstanding changes instyleandsound tobecome one of the biggest American rock bands of their time, selling over 120 million
albums worldwide, andsustainingtheirpopularity wellinto the new millennium. As the times changed, so did the band’s sound.
They slowly peeled away the arenarock guitarsofthe ‘80s,occasionally scoring on the adult contemporary charts and
sometimes singing country music without ever rejecting hardrock,amove thatillustrated how they never abandoned their roots
and became second only to Bruce Springsteen in defining the sound andspiritofNew Jerseyrock & roll.
Bon Jovi took their name from lead singer Jon Bon Jovi (born Jon Bongiovi), who spent his adolescence playing in local
JerseybandswithDavidBryan (born David Rashbaum). Jon’s cousin, Tony Bongiovi, owned the celebrated New York recording
studio the PowerStationandJon spentmany hours there, working as a janitor and recording demos after hours, sometimes
supported by members of the EStreetBand orAldo Nova.One of those demos, "Runaway," became a hit on local New Jersey
radio and lead to the formation of Bon Jovi theband,as Jonand Bryanwere supported by guitarist Dave Sabo, bassist Alec John
Such, and drummer Tico Torres. “Runaway” spurred a major-labelbidding warleading to a contract with Polygram/Mercury in
1983. Before the group entered the studio, though, Bon Jovi replacedSabowithRichieSambora, a working guitarist with a long
résumé including a stint as a member of Message.
Bon Jovi released their eponymous debut album in 1984, generating a Top 40 hit with the original version of
"Runaway."Thefollowingyear,7800° Fahrenheit was released and went gold, all serving as a prelude to the band's 1986
breakthrough, Slippery WhenWet.PaulStanleyhad given Jon and Richie the phone number of professional songwriter Desmond
Child, and together they wrote two ofthealbum'sbiggesthits in Richie's parents' basement. The trio composed 30 songs in total
and auditioned them for local New Jersey andNewYorkteenagers,basing the album's running order on their opinions. Supported
by several appealing, straightforward videos thatreceivedheavyrotation onMTV, the record took off on the strength of “You
Give Love a Bad Name,” followed quickly by “Livin’ on a Prayer”and“WantedDead or Alive.”Those three Top Ten Hits helped
propel Slippery When Wet to sales of nine million in the U.S. alone, establishingBonJovi assuperstars intheir home country.
Their fame was not limited to the U.S., though, as the album also turned into a significant hitinEurope,Canada, Japan,and
Australia.
Bon Jovi built upon Slippery When Wet's formula with 1988's New Jersey, which shot to number one upon its release.
NewJerseywasonlyslightly less successful than its predecessor, selling five million copies and generating two number one
singles, "Bad Medicine"and"I'llBeThere for You," as well as the Top Ten hits "Born to Be My Baby," "Lay Your Hands on Me,"
and "Living in Sin." Followingthecompletionofan 18-month international tour, the band went on hiatus. During the time off, Jon
Bon Jovi wrote the soundtrack for YoungGunsII, whichwasreleased in 1990 as the Blaze of Glory album. The record produced
two hit singles -- the number one title track andthenumber12"Miracle" -- and earned several Grammy and Oscar nominations.
The following year, Bon Jovi reunited to record their fifth album, Keep the Faith, which was released in the fall of 1992.
Whilethealbumdidn'tmatch the blockbuster status of its predecessors, it did produce a hit with "Bed of Roses," an adult
contemporary-styledballadthathelpedsustain the band’s popularity. A greatest-hits album called Cross Road appeared in 1994
and yielded another TopTenballad,"Always."Around the same time, bassist Alec John Such left the band; Hugh McDonald, who
appeared on Bon Jovi recordingsstretchingbackas faras “Runaway,” became his unofficial replacement and featured
prominently on the band’s next album. Released in the fallof1995,TheseDays turned into another U.S. Top Ten, as well as a
popular European hit. After appearing in the 1996 film MoonlightandValentino, JonBonJovi released his first official solo album,
Destination Anywhere, in the summer of 1997.
During the tail end of the '90s, the members of Bon Jovi engaged in different projects -- Sambora released a
sophomoresolosetcalledUndiscovered Soul in 1998 -- before easing back into work in 1999 via a song for EdTV, then beginning
work on a full-lengthrecord.Theresulting album, Crush, appeared in 2000 and constituted something of a comeback in America
thanks to the smash single“It’s MyLife,”across-platform hit single with long legs. “Thank You for Loving Me” also turned into a
hit, helping Crush go double platinum intheU.S.andselling eight million copies worldwide. Bon Jovi quickly followed Crush with
their eighth studio effort, Bounce, which appearedinfall2002,and supported the record with another international tour. In
2003, the band re-recorded many of its most well-known songsfortheacoustic-based release This Left Feels Right, which also
saw an accompanying DVD in 2004.
The ambitious outtakes and rarities box set 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong arrived later that November, followed
by the all-newHave a Nice Day -- the first of several albums produced by John Shanks. That album's success was aided in
part by the single“WhoSaysYouCan’t Go Home,” featuring guest vocals from Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, which eventually
won the Grammy AwardforBestCountryCollaboration with Vocals -- as well as topping the charts in Japan, Australia, Europe,
and Canada. The band spentthefollowingyear in thestudio, putting the finishing touches on a collection of pop-infused
heartland country anthems. The resulting LostHighway,whichfeaturedduets with LeAnn Rimes and Big & Rich, arrived in the
summer of 2007 and grabbed the band a healthy new countrymusic fanbasein theprocess. Lost Highway's cross-genre formula
proved to be quite potent, securing the band its third number one album inthe U.S.BonJovireturned to rock shortly thereafter,
though, with the release of the somber, searching The Circle in 2009. One year later,GreatestHits:TheUltimate Collection
offered plenty of hits along with two new tracks, “No Apologies” and “What Do You Got?” « hide |
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